Stackable storage container with insulating sleeve

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a stackable storage container with an insulating sleeve including a receptacle having a circumferential sidewall, a sleeve having a circumferential sidewall with a top edge and a bottom edge wherein an outer surface of the sleeve sidewall includes a shoulder subjacent the top edge, and wherein the receptacle sidewall and the sleeve sidewall define an insulating gap therebetween.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The storage container of the present invention is suitable to store avariety of items from dry goods to dairy products. Generally, a storagecontainer must be capable of withstanding the stress of loading,transportation, and use while being simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and assemble. One manner of accomplishing these goals is toprovide a receptacle surrounded by a positively closely positionedsleeve. There are several advantages to this type of storage container.First, the sleeve provides an area for a label or an advertisement thatmay be applied to the sleeve before it is positioned on the receptacle.Printing in this manner is often less complicated than printing on thereceptacle itself.

Furthermore, a typical high-volume fast-food restaurant, coffee shop orthe like requires thousands of storage containers or cups. The cups aretypically packaged and stored in nested stacks that are easily compactedeven when properly stored and handled. Thus, one or more cups in eachstack can bind to adjacent cups and become difficult to separate.Sometimes a stack of cups becomes so severely compacted that the cupsare dented, scratched, or completely smashed. A stack of bound cups isusually provided to a beverage server for use. When the stack isexhausted it is replaced by another stack of cups. The beverage servernot uncommonly has to use two hands to remove a cup from the stack.Frequently, more than one cup is removed from the stack and must bereplaced. This is not only inconvenient, but it can also severely slowdown service thereby patrons waiting to be served. Thus, there is a needin the art for a cup that protect against stacking-related damage andassist in the easy and sure removal of a single cup from a stack.

A disadvantage in prior art cups are obvious when hot beverages, such ascoffee, are being served. For example, most disposable coffee cups arevery difficult to handle for several minutes after being filled.However, it can take a person grasping the hot cup several moments torealize that it will be uncomfortable to hold the cup until it cools,and the cup is placed on a table. This situation is problematic withregard to “drive-thru” service since vehicle occupants are often underway again before discomfort is perceived and the options for setting thecup aside are limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a storage container including areceptacle having a circumferential sidewall, a sleeve having acircumferential sidewall with a top edge and a bottom edge wherein anouter surface of the sleeve sidewall includes a shoulder subjacent thetop edge, and wherein the receptacle sidewall and the sleeve sidewalldefine an insulating gap therebetween.

In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a storagecontainer including a receptacle having a circumferential sidewall and acircular bottom portion. The receptacle sidewall includes a top edgehaving an outwardly projecting marginal flange and further includes abottom edge having an outwardly projecting rounded step. A sleeve isprovided having a circumferential sidewall with a top edge and a bottomedge, and an outer surface of said sidewall includes a shouldersubjacent the top edge. The receptacle further has a circularcross-section, and a first diameter of the sidewall bottom edge is lessthan a second diameter of the sidewall top edge. The sleeve top edge andbottom edge each include an inturned roll and the receptacle sidewalland the sleeve sidewall define an insulating gap therebetween.

In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a storagecontainer including a receptacle having a circumferential sidewall and acircular bottom portion. The receptacle sidewall includes a top edgehaving an outwardly projecting marginal flange and further includes abottom edge having an outwardly projecting rounded step. A sleeve isprovided having a circumferential sidewall with a top edge and a bottomedge, and an outer surface of said sidewall includes a shouldersubjacent the top edge and a circumferential groove subjacent theshoulder. The receptacle further has a circular cross-section, and afirst diameter of the sidewall bottom edge is less than a seconddiameter of the sidewall top edge. The sleeve top edge and bottom edgeeach include an inturned roll and the receptacle sidewall and the sleevesidewall define an insulating gap therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

In the accompanying drawings that form a part of the specification andthat are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like referencenumerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the storagecontainer of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational sectional view of the storage container ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational sectional view of two storage containersstacked together;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a portion of the sidewalls of the storagecontainers of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the sidewalls of a second embodiment ofthe storage container of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the sidewalls of a third embodiment of thestorage container of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A storage container 10 embodying various features of the presentinvention is shown in the drawings. In a first embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 1-3, storage container 10 includes a receptacle 12 and a removablesleeve 14.

Receptacle 12 has a circular bottom portion 16 and a circumferentialsidewall 18.

At the top edge 20 of sidewall 18 is an outwardly projecting marginalflange 22. At the bottom edge 24 of sidewall 18 is an outwardlyprojecting rounded step 26. Receptacle 12 preferably has afrusto-conical shape; that is, receptacle 12 has a circularcross-section, and the diameter of bottom portion 16 is less than thediameter of the top edge 20 of sidewall 18. It will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that different shapes may serve equally as welland may actually be required by a desired application. For example, areceptacle in the shape of a cube may provide better stacking or spaceutilization characteristics. Receptacle 12 is preferably constructed ofpaperboard, cardboard, laminated paperboard, or thermoplastic materials.

Sleeve 14, which is positively closely positioned around sidewall 18 ofreceptacle 12 between flange 22 and step 26, provides structural supportto receptacle 12 and also provides an area for printing or advertising.In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, sleeve 14 is preferablyconstructed of paperboard, cardboard, laminated paperboard, orthermoplastic materials. Sleeve 14 is defined by a sidewall 28 having atop edge 30 and a bottom edge 32. Top edge 30 and bottom edge 32 eachinclude an inturned roll or bead 34 and 36. Sleeve 12 further includes astacking shoulder 18 subjacent top edge 30 which provides a localizedincrease in the diameter of sleeve 14. Although stacking shoulder 38 isshown in FIG. 4 as a single, uninterrupted projection, stacking shoulder38 may include several similar shoulders in the same plane around thesleeve 12. In this embodiment of the present invention, upper portion 40of sleeve 14 may be joined at 42 by means of an adhesive agent with theouter periphery of sidewall 18 of receptacle 12 adjacent to the top edge20. The inner surface of the bottom edge 32 may also be joined toreceptacle 12 at 44 by means of the adhesive agent with the outerperiphery of sidewall 18 adjacent bottom portion 16. In this way,receptacle 12 and sleeve 14 are integrally combined with each other todefine an insulating gap 46 therebetween. In another embodiment shown inFIG. 5, top edge 30 of sleeve 14 and bottom edge 32 of sleeve 14 act todefine insulating gap 46. In a third embodiment shown in FIG. 6, inaddition to shoulder 38, sleeve 14 further includes a circumferentialgroove or recess 48 subjacent shoulder 38 thereby providing a localizeddecrease in the diameter of storage container 10.

In use, multiple receptacles 12 having sleeves 14 thereon may be stackedor nested together such that a top edge 20 of a lower receptacle 12engages shoulder 38 of sleeve 14 on an upper receptacle 12 therebypreventing receptacles 12 from compressing and allowing ease of removalof the upper receptacle 12 from the stack. Further, when container 10 isfilled with a hot beverage or liquid, insulating gap 46 between sleeve14 and receptacle 12 acts to protect the user's fingers from thediscomfort usually associated with holding a hot beverage.

From the foregoing, it may be seen that the storage container of thepresent invention is particularly well suited for the proposed usagesthereof. Furthermore, since certain changes may be made in the aboveinvention without departing from the scope hereof, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawing be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claimsare to cover certain generic and specific features described herein.

1. A storage container comprising: a receptacle having a circumferentialsidewall; and a sleeve having a circumferential sidewall with a top edgeand a bottom edge, an outer surface of said sidewall including ashoulder subjacent said top edge; wherein said receptacle sidewall andsaid sleeve sidewall define an insulating gap therebetween.
 2. Thecontainer of claim 1 wherein said receptacle further comprises acircular bottom portion.
 3. The container of claim 1 wherein saidreceptacle sidewall further comprises a top edge having an outwardlyprojecting marginal flange.
 4. The container of claim 1 wherein saidreceptacle sidewall further comprises a bottom edge having an outwardlyprojecting rounded step.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein saidreceptacle has a circular cross-section, and a first diameter ofsidewall bottom edge is less than a second diameter of sidewall topedge.
 6. The container of claim 1 wherein said sleeve top edge comprisesan inturned roll.
 7. The container of claim 1 wherein said sleeve bottomedge comprises an inturned roll.
 8. The container of claim 1 whereinsaid sleeve sidewall further comprises a circumferential groove.
 9. Astorage container comprising: a receptacle having a circumferentialsidewall and a circular bottom portion, said receptacle sidewallincluding a top edge having an outwardly projecting marginal flange andfurther including a bottom edge having an outwardly projecting roundedstep; and a sleeve having a circumferential sidewall with a top edge anda bottom edge, an outer surface of said sidewall including a shouldersubjacent said top edge; wherein said receptacle has a circularcross-section, and a first diameter of sidewall bottom edge is less thana second diameter of sidewall top edge; wherein said sleeve top edge andbottom edge each include an inturned roll; and wherein said receptaclesidewall and said sleeve sidewall define an insulating gap therebetween.10. A storage container comprising: a receptacle having acircumferential sidewall and a circular bottom portion, said receptaclesidewall including a top edge having an outwardly projecting marginalflange and further including a bottom edge having an outwardlyprojecting rounded step; and a sleeve having a circumferential sidewallwith a top edge and a bottom edge, an outer surface of said sidewallincluding a shoulder subjacent said top edge and a circumferentialgroove subjacent said shoulder; wherein said receptacle has a circularcross-section, and a first diameter of sidewall bottom edge is less thana second diameter of sidewall top edge; wherein said sleeve top edge andbottom edge each include an inturned roll; and wherein said receptaclesidewall and said sleeve sidewall define an insulating gap therebetween.